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Saturday, August 26, 2006
Japanese national, 5 others named in big-time scam
By Rhodamae M. Hernandez
DAVAO CITY -- Six persons, including a Japanese national, are in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after they were accused of being behind a multi-million swindling operation involving the sale of a brand of food preservatives and fake dollars and peso bills.
Members of the group allegedly establish contact through signs posted on the road offering lots for sale or warehouses for rent. They then befriend their contact and weave a whole operation around their victims to swindle them of their money.
The six were arrested in an entrapment operation at Jones Beach Resort last August 22.
Lawyer Renato Mandawe, case investigator, identified the suspects as Allan Acantara Peneda, of legal age, a resident of Rosal Street in Hernie Subdivision, Quezon City; Roger Nanay Jaro, legal age; Rene Dagom Nucom; Eliesar Olandang Dologuin; Hasegana Sashi Kemichi, a Japanese national and resident of Tandang Sora Avenue in Quezon City; and Rose Dagatan Reyes, resident of Cagayan de Oro City.
Mandawe said two others were arrested with the six but no evidence could point to their involvement and so they were released soon after.
Mandawe said the group will contact the number usually listed in the "for sale or rent" signs and discuss the possibility of renting the property. The one who contacts the property owners will befriend them and even offer "gifts", usually of seafood in the guise that he or she was in the seafood business.
The brand of food preservative -- Lyzomines -- will then be introduced with the gift-giver claiming his fresh seafood, which he is giving as sample to his new friend, is actually treated with the preservative Lyzomines, which comes from China.
The gift-giver will then weave a story about being desperate to have a steady supply of this preservative from any source for his big-time seafood business because the warehouse in China has just been razed and he knows of no other place or person to buy it from.
The gift-giver will then mention that he buys the preservative at P25,000 per box.
A few days or weeks later, another person will strike up acquaintance with the prospective victim and will mention that he is selling some items including preservatives, of the Lyzomines brand, for P20,000 per box.
"You will really believe that you can easily get a lot of profit, and thus their victims are easily convinced to buy from the first one. Once you have given so much money, then the one who offered you the business will severe any connection with you," Mandawe said.
The entrapment operation was planned after one of the victims approached the NBI.
"The would-be victim already had the boxes and stocks but has not yet paid for them and so we planned the entrapment with him," Mandawe said.
Other victims have already appeared in their office and they are bent on filing charges.
"There was one complainant from Toril na P26-million ang nakuha sa kanila (who was swindled of P26 million)," he said.
Recovered from the suspects were fake US dollars, fake Philippine peso bills, fake food preservatives (Lyzomines), and brochures used in swindling. The fake bills, the NBI believes, are used at times when the suspects are forced to pay for their merchandise.
The suspects are now detained at the National Bureau of Investigation and will be facing large-scale estafa charges. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(August 26, 2006 issue)
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